One of IWR’s most important programs, Global Roots Play School (GRPS) finished up its first full year since closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with the children and their families forming lasting connections with their teachers and each other.

GRPS is an IWR initiative that helps refugee and immigrant families by providing affordable, accessible childcare to parents eager to learn English. The school coordinates its hours with those of Open Doors English, a short walk away. GRPS enables parents to attend English class, empowering them to seek opportunities for themselves, including employment.

GRPS provided care for 16 children from 10 countries over the course of the 2022-23 school year. The Play School also provided short-term care for the children of newly arrived refugee families as they waited for vacancies in other programs.

“Being able to reopen our program fully and provide a community for children and their families has been so important and impactful after our time closed,” GRPS Director Bronwyn Losey said. “The children born during the pandemic need our emotionally centered, responsive practice more than ever and the families expressed again and again how appreciative they were to be a part of our school community.”

The children spent the year playing superheroes or firefighters on the playground or pretending to repair vehicles and homes. Cooking, whether pretend or real, was another favorite activity, with the children and their families often making enough to share with the class. 

The year also included a field trip to Open Doors English, where many of the children’s parents receiving English-language instruction. There, they enjoyed a special dance performance by Cornell Bhangra, a Cornell University student organization whose goal is to promote awareness of Punjabi dance and culture in the community and across the nation.

For many of the children, it was their first time in a group setting. Helping them to build trust and feel comfortable was a top priority of GRPS teachers, two of whom are parents of children currently or previously enrolled in the Play School. In furtherance of that goal, GRPS staff attended training sessions on emotionally responsive practice and play work in the classroom. Early intervention professionals, librarians, and teachers from Tompkins Learning Partners also joined the classroom to assist staff.

One of the ways that the teachers helped care for the children was by making books about some of the changes they were experiencing. “We take advantage of Google Translate and write books about transitions in the children’s lives to help them understand and talk about them,” GRPS Director Bronwyn Losey said.

The books were made with a printer and computer purchased this year with support from the Legacy Foundation.

Another grant, from the Social Service League, allowed the Play School to purchase new equipment and items for the classroom, including books in different languages. “That has been particularly impactful to many families, as they appreciate being able to read to their child in their home language,” Losey said.

GRPS is anticipating full enrollment next September, with many children returning for another year.